Good progress on 5,400-acre fire west of Lakeview despite higher winds, shift in direction

(Update: Sunday evening update)

Lake County Sheriff's Office expands evacuation levels

LAKEVIEW, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A predicted weather change came into the area of the 5,400-acre Patton Meadow Fire Sunday evening, which brought higher winds out of the west and is predicted to continue for the next couple of days.

Both wildland and structural fire crews are working in unison to ensure the fire stays inside the established containment lines on the south and east sides of the Patton Meadow Fire.

Due to the increased fire behavior and the change in weather, Oregon Department of Forestry Team 3 and Office of the State Fire Marshal Blue Team are aligned with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office’s decision to adjust the current evacuation levels.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office updated evacuation details this afternoon.  The current evacuation details can be found by visiting https://www.facebook.com/Lake-County-Oregon-104435824529906.

Crews working on the Patton Meadow fire made good progress Sunday in most areas of the fire.  The fire did cross over Patton Meadow Road in a small area, which crews continue to work to control.

North of Highway 140, crews will continue to conduct small burnout operations to reduce fuels along established containment lines. On Sunday, there was a successful burn operation south of Highway 140 that reduced the risk of the fire spotting and spreading any further to the south. 

The eastern side of the fire held with the shift in wind, now coming from the west.  Crews will continue to strengthen those lines, building to the north.  The northern edge of the fire is in steep terrain with little direct access.  Contingency lines are being built along current roads, while crews look to identify other possible direct lines further south.

Overnight, crews will continue to strengthen lines around the fire, focusing on the area that crossed Patton Meadow Road and the eastern edge.

Crews strengthened lines on the Willow Valley Fire, working to increase its containment.  The fire had no growth for the third consecutive day.

The unified teams will hold a virtual informational meeting Monday evening. More details to come.

An overnight infrared flight showed more accurate acreage for the fires. The updated acres for the fires are; Patton Meadow with 5,406 acres with 15% containment, and Willow Valley is 824 acres with 35% containment.

For the Patton Meadow Fire, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Management has identified areas for Level 3 (Go Now), Level 2 (Get Set) and Level 1 (Be Ready) in the fire area.

The Red Cross has established an evacuation center for the Patton Meadow Fire at Daly Middle School, located at 220 South H St. in Lakeview.

The emergency closure area for the Bootleg Fire on the Fremont-Winema National Forest includes all of the Patton Meadow Fire area and is especially important in the area for public and firefighter safety.  The order is formally referenced as Closure Order Number 06-02-21-08.

Violations of the prohibitions are punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment for not more than 6 months, or both.

With ongoing extreme fire danger and fuel conditions, even a small spark can quickly grow to become a large wildfire.  Everyone is asked to be careful with anything that could spark a wildfire and to report suspected wildfires immediately by calling 911.

More information: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7798/